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Crime increases traced to HB's popularity, possible growth in crime-prone population
by Robb Fulcher
Increases in serious crime in 1999 can be traced in part to Hermosa's popularity with visitors, and may also reflect a growing population bulge of crime-prone teens and young adults, a shift predicted by criminologists nationwide, Police Chief Val Straser said.
Last year saw assaults increase to a total of 119, compared to 77 in 1998. Incidents of driving under the influence increased to 203 from 150 in 1998, and vehicle burglaries reached 71, up from 60 in 1998, according to police statistics.
"This is mostly due to the success of Hermosa Beach. Hermosa is a destination for the South Bay and the rest of Los Angeles County. People talk about Hermosa Beach like they talked about the early days of Westwood and Hollywood," Straser said on Tuesday.
"It's mainly the Pier Plaza, but it's also city events like the New Year's Eve celebration, the theater events, the skateboard park," he said.
The downtown New Year's Eve bash drew a crowd police estimated at 10,000. The Hermosa Playhouse has enjoyed notable success over the past year, and the 8,000 square foot Hermosa Beach Skate Park opened in June.
Straser said the crime statistics might also reflect the beginning of a long-anticipated bulge in the population of men between 14 years old and 28 years old, the age at which they are most crime-prone.
In recent years, the "echo boomers," the offspring of the "baby boomer" generation have been bursting the seams of schools across the state and nation. Criminologists have been warning that the last decade's trend of nationwide double-digit crime decreases will soon end, and perhaps reverse, as more and more of the echo boomers reach "crime age."
"This is just a thumbnail perception at this point. We have to look again at the end of two years and see if (the statistics) are continuing to creep up a bit," Straser said.
He said he believes a strong economy is the greatest single factor in preventing crime, and hopes that the vital national economy and its resulting low jobless rate will continue.
Other categories of crime also declined in Hermosa last year. Robberies dropped to 14 from 17 in 1998 and residential burglaries dropped to 37 from 43 in 1998.
Rapes decreased to six from eight in 1998. Four of the six reported rapes have resulted in charges against Nicholas Temkey, 31, of Lawndale, who is accused of attacking the women inside the Beach Club bar on the Pier Plaza promenade, where he worked as general manager. Trial for Temkey is scheduled to begin next week.
No murders were committed last year, and attempted murders dropped to zero from one in 1998, when a woman allegedly tried to suffocate her child with a pillow.
Assaults draw concern
Earlier in the year, Straser paid special attention to assaults, which jumped off the charts in the month of July. July's total of 22 assaults more than doubled the June total of 10, and far outstripped the August total of four.
The second worst month for assault was May with a total of 15, according to Straser's mid-year review, which covered January through September.
The categories of bar and alcohol-related fights, including altercations involving bouncers, totaled 30 through September. Incidents of domestic violence totaled 22, and altercations involving police officers and criminal suspects totaled five.
"I found the number of domestic assaults surprising," Straser said.
He said the alcohol- and bar-related fights reflected the fact that "Hermosa is a place where a lot of people come, especially during a nice time of the year."
Downtown Hermosa, with its wildly popular, three-year-old Pier Plaza, "is something to watch closely," Straser said.
He pointed out that police have maintained a visible presence downtown, where law enforcement has drawn praise from area businesspeople and city politicians.
"It's important that police officers see themselves as a part of the whole community, enforcing the law and also assisting people in enjoying the plaza and downtown area, helping them with issues of parking, helping them enjoy what the community has to offer," Straser said. "We want to welcome them to Hermosa Beach." ER